Jets send Falcons reeling to 27-24 defeat on walk-off field goal
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kicker Nick Folk sent the Falcons home with a 56-yard field goal at the buzzer to lift the Jets to a 27-24 victory on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The Falcons couldn’t hold another fourth-quarter lead as they collapsed over the final 8:53 of the game.
The Jets improved to 3-9. The Falcons are now 4-8, with five games to play.
The Falcons wasted a big game from running back Bijan Robinson. He rushed 23 times for 142 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 51 yards.
Tight end Kyle Pitts also caught seven passes for 82 yards.
Behind a last-ditch touchdown drive, the Falcons and Jets were tied 7-7 at halftime.
With neither team able to sustain drives, the Jets got a big break when Falcons returner Jamal Agnew fumbled a punt inside the 10-yard line. Jets cornerback Qwan’Tez Stiggers recovered the ball at the 2-yard line. Breece Hall scored on the next play to make it 7-0.
As the offenses continued to sputter, the Falcons received the ball at their 38 with just over two minutes before halftime.
Robinson busted loose for a 16-yard run to start off the drive. Cousins connected with Pitts on third-and-4 from the Jets’ 40 to keep the drive alive and convert their first third down of the game.
Four plays later, a defensive pass interference call moved the ball to the 1. The Falcons put offensive guard Jovaughn Gwyn in at fullback and couldn’t punch it in. On the next play, Tyler Allgeier slammed into the end zone with 9 seconds left in the first half.
The Falcons defense held the Jets on their opening drive of the third quarter.
Cousins, with the help of a roughing-the-passer penalty, put together an eight-play, 95-yard touchdown drive to take the lead. Robinson scored on a nifty 5-yard touchdown run that he bounced outside for the score. Gonzalez’s kick made it 14-7 with 9:36 left in the third quarter.
The lead didn’t last long as the Tyrod Taylor connected with Adonai Mitchell for a 52-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 14 with 8:58 to play in the third quarter. Cornerback Mike Hughes fell down in coverage.
Gonzalez missed a 50-yard field goal wide right. Folk missed a 55-yard yarder that was short.
Gonzalez then made a 52-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter to put the Falcons up 17-14.
But the Falcons’ kickoff coverage unit, which has struggled all season, gave up an 83-yard return by Isaiah Williams. Natrone Brooks chased him down, and the defense held to force a 32-yard field goal by Folk with 13:23 to play.
The Falcons answered with a touchdown drive, keyed by a 31-yard pass play to Allgeier. Cousins tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to David Sills V to make it 24-17 with 8:46 to play.
The Falcons kicked the ball into the end zone because they can’t cover kicks. The Jets had a favorable drive start at the 35-yard line.
Taylor cobbled together a 15-play drive with three third-down conversions and one on fourth down. He scored on a 10-yard scramble with 1:53 to play.
The Falcons couldn’t move the ball and were forced to punt. The Jets couldn’t move it, either.
The Falcons then threw three incompletions, and the Jets were set up for the game-winning drive with 35 seconds left.
Over the previous five games, the Falcons did not clear the 40% conversion rate on third downs.
They converted 18.2% against Miami, 10% against New England, 0% against Indianapolis (0-of-8), 36.4% against Carolina and 25.9% against New Orleans. On Sunday, the Falcons were just 4-for-12 on third downs (33%).
The Falcons are set to host the Seahawks at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
